For Albany State University, being a Golden Ram means more than what happens on the field or in the classroom. It means standing together as a family even when that family stretches across a different country.

When a devastating earthquake struck Venezuela in late June, the effects were felt far beyond the immediate destruction. Communities faced casualties, injuries and homes that were damaged or destroyed, leaving families in need of necessities and support.

For Albany State assistant baseball coach Luis Martinez, the disaster hit close to home.

Martinez is from Maracay, Venezuela, where family, friends and members of his hometown community were among those affected by the earthquake. As he watched the situation unfold from thousands of miles away, members of the Albany State community stepped in to support him and those back home.

The Albany State RAMily came together to provide a donation to Martinez, allowing him to send assistance to families in his hometown who were facing the aftermath of the disaster. That support quickly became tangible help.

Through the donation, Martinez was able to assist approximately three to four families in Maracay, providing essential items and resources to help them begin navigating life after the earthquake.

Among the families Martinez was able to help was a mother who lost both her husband and her home in the disaster. Left to care for her five children, she faced an unimaginable situation with the most basic needs, suddenly becoming a challenge.

With the support provided through Albany State, Martinez was able to help the family with essential items as they worked to move forward.

For Martinez, the assistance was more than a donation. It was a reminder that although he may be miles away from Maracay, he was not alone in caring for the people and community he calls home, and for Albany State, it was another example of what truly means to be a Golden Ram.

"This is what it means to be a Golden Ram," said Albany State Director of Athletics Dr. Kelly. "We talk about the RAMily all the time, but moments like this show that it is more than just a word. When one of our own is hurting, we come together. Coach Martinez's home is thousands of miles away, but his community became our community. Being a Golden Ram means taking care of one another, supporting one another and being there when it matters most."

The impact of the Albany State community reached far beyond the university's campus in Albany, Georgia. It reached families in Maracay who were facing uncertainty, loss and the difficult process of rebuilding their lives.

For Martinez, the support also carried a deeply personal meaning.

"This donation from Dr. Kelly and the Albany State Athletics staff means so much to us," Martinez said. " Being able to help families in need back home in Venezuela is truly a blessing. I want to sincerely thank Dr. Kelly and everyone in ASU Athletics for their generosity and support during these difficult times following the earthquakes. Because of their kindness, we were able to provide hope and essential supplies to families who needed it most."

The images of the families receiving essential supplies tell a story that statistics cannot. They represent people who lost homes, loved ones and a sense of normalcy but who also received a reminder that they were not forgotten.

That is the power of community.

That is the power of the RAMily.

And that is what it means to be a Albany State Golden Ram.
 
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ABOUT ALBANY STATE ATHLETICS
Albany State University is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II-level intercollegiate athletic program. The university currently fields teams in 12 sports: women's volleyball, women's tennis, women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, softball, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, baseball, and football, with all teams competing in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).